After six years of absence and a battle with a serious illness: Celine Dion back on stage

Celine Dion, 58, returned to perform in Paris after an absence of more than six years due to her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS). In her first show at the La Défense Arena in front of some 30,000 fans, the singer burst into tears and said: "I made a promise to come back and get on stage again, so here I am."

Celine Dion, 58, returned to perform in Paris after an absence of more than six years due to her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), a rare autoimmune neurological disorder. In her first show at the La Défense Arena in front of some 30,000 fans, the singer burst into tears during the first song and said: "I made a promise to come back and get on stage again. So here I am – singing for you, and singing for me – singing live." The performance opened a series of 16 planned shows in Paris over the coming months, alongside 10 additional performances scheduled for May 2027. According to estimates in France, the series of shows is expected to generate about one billion euros for the local economy. Dion, who has sold over 240 million records, revealed her diagnosis in 2022. The comeback comes after she performed Edith Piaf's Hymn to Love from the top of the Eiffel Tower at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics.